Miami Hurricanes show fight but ultimately are overmatched, mistake-riddled in opener against No. 8 Florida

Miami Hurricanes redshirt freshman quarterback Jarren Williams breaks down the first start of his college career, a 24-20 loss to the Florida Gators.

In the first game of the Manny Diaz head coaching era, the Miami Hurricanes showed they can fight with a top-10 team.

Ultimately, they didn’t have enough, despite every second, third and fourth chance that was granted against the No. 8 Florida Gators.

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Unranked Miami, unable to take advantage of two pass interference calls that kept the Hurricanes alive on their final drive, fell 24-20 to Florida in Orlando’s Camping World Stadium as redshirt freshman first-time starter Jarren Williams handled himself despite facing constant pressure.

Missed opportunities, 10 sacks allowed, 14 penalties for 125 yards and some poor tackling sprinkled in proved too much to overcome for the Hurricanes (0-1), who all things considered, put together a decent showing with the national spotlight on in the “Week 0” opener ahead of mostly every other college football team on ESPN in primetime.

A moral victory was the last thing the Hurricanes, who are yet to beat a top-10 team away from home since a 2005 win at Virginia Tech, wanted to hear postgame, even as the Gators (1-0) are likely the toughest team UM will face all regular season.

Miami Hurricanes running back DeeJay Dallas after the UM loss to the No. 8 Florida Gators.

“It doesn’t matter because we lost the game,” said Diaz. “We did not come here to play with courage and effort. We came here to win the game, and it’s not okay at the University of Miami ever to lose to the University of Florida. Everybody in that locker room feels the pain of that right now.”

Said running back DeeJay Dallas: “We’re Miami, the Hurricanes. Moral victories can’t happen. It’s win or nothing. Win or go home every Saturday.”

The loss snapped a run UM had against UF, winning seven of the previous eight matchups dating back to 1986 in a rivalry that was discontinued as annual after the 1987 installment.

Pass interference penalties on fourth-and-34 and third-and-12 kept Miami’s final drive alive, but a mishandled snap and a final incomplete pass with pressure coming from Florida’s Jeremiah Moon on Miami’s last fourth-down gasp ended it. Had a Bubba Baxa 27-yard field goal attempt earlier in the fourth been converted, the Hurricanes would’ve needed just three points and were within field goal range, advancing as far as the Gators’ 24-yard line on the final possession.

Williams was composed for the most part, given the circumstances, going 19 for 29 for 214 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. He constantly evaded pressure to get off throws but also took the 10 sacks with an inexperienced offensive line that started true freshman Zion Nelson at left tackle and redshirt freshman John Campbell at right tackle.

“I felt like it was a lot of good," Williams said. "There’s a lot of things I can learn from, too. I’m really just ready to go back and watch the film and fix a lot of the mistakes that we made. We’ll learn from it.”

A Feleipe Franks keeper from 3 yards out gave Florida its ultimate 24-20 lead with 8:18 remaining. Franks connected with former Hallandale High standout Josh Hammond, who was streaking up the seam against Gilbert Frierson, for 66 yards before running it in for the score. Franks finished 17 of 27 for 254 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Dallas’ 50-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter put the Hurricanes up 20-17. It was a play that exhibited Dan Enos’ creativity as offensive coordinator and the ways he can utilize the athleticism – or at least the threat – of Tate Martell after the Ohio State transfer missed out on the starting quarterback job.

As Dallas, who finished with 95 rushing yards and 39 receiving, took the snap in the Wildcat, Dallas faked a jet sweep to Martell, ran off tackle, bounced off some would-be tacklers and sprinted for the long score.

The Gators went up 17-13 with 30 seconds left in the third quarter when Franks hit Lamical Perine over the middle for an 8-yard touchdown as, out of the backfield, Perine started a route to the flat and pivoted back inside. It was a UF drive that was extended after Jeff Thomas muffed a punt that was recovered by standout Gators receiver Van Jefferson, who doubles as a gunner on special teams.

What also hurt for Miami in that instance, was that, before punting the ball back to Florida, a long run for Cam’Ron Harris was wiped away due to two holding calls – one by Thomas down the field and another one, that was enforced, at the line of scrimmage on tight end Brevin Jordan.

Jordan, who led Miami in receiving with 88 yards, gave the Hurricanes their first lead with 45 seconds left before halftime when he caught a 25-yard pass from Williams over the middle, broke a tackle at the 6-yard line and ran into the end zone.

The score for Jordan, a sophomore standout, introduced the world to Miami’s new Touchdown Rings. Jordan was the first UM player to don the pair of four-finger rings that, when knuckled up together read “Hurricanes.”

Jordan’s score was set up by Dallas, who picked up 40 yards on a screen where he caught the ball one-handed and broke a pair of tackles on the way deep into UF territory.

On top of the new offensive reward, Miami debuted its third edition of the Turnover Chain, one highlighted by a “305” charm as an ode to Miami-Dade County, when defensive end Scott Patchan recovered a second-quarter fumble. Linebacker Shaq Quarterman was the second to wear it with his own fumble recovery, and safety Amari Carter intercepted a tipped ball in the second half. Romeo Finley intercepted a fourth-quarter pass.

The Hurricanes took over five minutes of time off the clock on their opening drive, collecting 61 yards all though the air with Williams effective with underneath throws three times to Jordan and once to receiver K.J. Osborn.

That drive resulted in one of two Baxa field goals in the first half, from 36 and 42 yards out. His key fourth-quarter miss would’ve made a three-point advantage six before UF took the lead back with the Franks rushing touchdown.

Florida extended several early drives that could’ve been Miami stops. The Gators converted four fourth downs, one of them on a fake punt that then led to the first touchdown Saturday, with Kadarius Toney catching a screen from Franks for a 66-yard touchdown.

After opening the season a week ahead of most other teams, the Hurricanes have a bye before playing their ACC opener at North Carolina on Sept. 7.